MOBILE, Ala. – The Vietnamese mother of four young children tossed to their deaths from an Alabama coastal bridge testified Monday that her common-law husband laughed when he told her that the children – then reported missing – would never be found.

Phan burst into tears when color photographs of the children were flashed on a screen for jurors. Prosecutors said they will seek a death sentence if Luong is convicted.

The 38-year-old defendant sat motionless as the woman identified each of the victims by name: Their children together, Hannah Luong, 2, Lindsey Luong, 1, and Danny Luong, 4 months – and her son with another man, Ryan Phan, 3.

Luong is accused of throwing the children from the bridge on Jan. 7, 2008 after an argument with his wife.

Phan, whose testimony in Vietnamese was interpreted by a translator, said Luong at first told her he had left the children with a woman in Bayou La Batre. By 7 p.m. when they didn’t return, she went to police and began a frantic house-to-house search.

Days later, when his story came under scrutiny and he was taken into custody, Luong had officers bring Phan to his jail cell to tell her: “They are all dead,” according to her testimony.

“No way that we can find the children,” she said he told her. “He kept laughing.” She fell to her knees and cried, police testified.

Prosecutors claim Luong, a Vietnamese refugee and part-time shrimp boat worker, drove the family van to the top of Alabama’s two-lane Dauphin Island bridge and tossed the children into the Mississippi Sound, some 80 feet below.

Officials said most of the children suffered head or neck injuries in addition to asphyxia due to drowning. They said only the youngest, Hannah, died from drowning alone.

Bayou La Batre Police Capt. Darryl Wilson testified he took Luong’s statement in which he admitted to the killings. He quoted Luong as saying he had fought with his family and “wanted to see the look on her (his wife’s) face when he told her” about the deaths.

Wilson said Luong initially led police on a search for the children in Biloxi, Miss., but eventually led Wilson and Bayou La Batre Police Chief John Joyner Jr. to the top of the bridge.

“He told me I would need some boats and divers,” Wilson said.

That bridge conversation was tape-recorded by police and played for jurors who also were shown his 45-minute videotaped statement.

The four tiny bodies were recovered from waters off the Gulf coast during a search involving hundreds of volunteers in boats, aircraft and scouring the shoreline on foot.

Phan testified that the couple’s relationship soured after they moved from Alabama after Hurricane Katrina demolished Bayou La Batre on Aug. 31, 2005, and they relocated to Hinesville, Ga.

Phan said Luong had a girlfriend and began using crack cocaine. She said the family moved back to south Mobile County after Luong was fired from a restaurant job. Luong also returned, but couldn’t find work, according to testimony.

At a hearing on March 5, Luong pleaded guilty, but he reversed that decision Wednesday after learning a trial would be held despite the plea. A jury of 10 men and 6 women, including alternates, was seated to hear the case

Luong came to the U.S. as a refugee from Vietnam at 14. Immigration records indicate that he gained legal permanent residence status as a refugee, but never became a U.S. citizen.

Join the Conversation

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.

If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the “Flag as Inappropriate” feature by hovering over the right side of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Or, contact our editors by emailing moderator@scng.com.